Bangkok: Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin announced on social media on May 23 that Thailand plans to re-list marijuana as a narcotic and grant permits only to those who grow and use it for research and health functions.
The comments come after Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s beautiful plan turnaround this quarter, which pledged to de-criminalize cannabis by the end of the year after it was de-criminalized in 2022.
According to Somsak, a new legislation will forbid outdoor use, with those who grow, export, and use it for medical and research purposes required to have a license, though details of the licensing procedure were still being worked out.
In a post on Facebook, he wrote,” The enable method has never place an unreasonable load on the people,” adding that there would be a grace period for the people to change.
Pro-marijuana organizations have voiced opposition to Srettha’s action, saying it could hurt business confidence given the number of hemp cafes and shops that opened after legalization, an economy estimated to be worth up to US$ 1.2 billion by 2025.
Thailand has a long history of using cannabis to relieve pain and fatigue, and it is frequently used in recipes and conventional medicine as well.
The Southeast Asian nation made cannabis for study and medical use in 2018 the first time it was allowed to be grown, sold, and consumed, and two years later removed the plant from the country’s narcotics list, allowing users to develop, promote, and eat it.